Hitachi 5k80 Intermittent Clicking Noises - Page 3

Hello first off thanks for everyone who was contributed to this great thread.

I'm another Dell Inspirion 9300 user and I also have the clicking noise with my hitachi 80 gig (5400 rpm i think?) hdd. So far gathering from what everyone has said...I have come to understand that the steps neccessary to update the hitachi's firmware are:

1) Download the firmware ISO (fwhd41) from: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...cid=MIGR-62282

2) Unarchive the ISO (I used winrar) to a folder

3) Edit the line in MRLA5HA.TBL that says
A55A -> A5HA RAM and change it to A53A -> A5HA RAM

4) Delete all the lines underneath #Checksum Table except
9AAA3CF1 (and change that to: 9AAA3CF1H)

5) Make a bootable ISO of this folder (I used magicISO).

6) Boot up with that CD in place?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something but the bootable CD just will not boot up...instead the bootup just go to windows like normal. And I even have the cd as the first thing in the bootup sequence (and I can boot up from other bootable CD's just fine)

In magicISO I even had the "Bootable" button highlighted.

This clicking noise is driving me insane now. In the past I've ignored it but recently I've had to use my laptop at my desk and when it's really quiet and I have to do homework I just CANNOT STAND the clicking sound. I've grown to almost hate my laptop.

So please if anyone could help I would EXTREMELY appreciate it

UPDATE:
Nevermind...I got the bootup cd to work just by opening the downloaded iso with magicISO and then deleting the MRLA5HA.TBL and importing the edited version of MRLA5HA.TBL. Upon loading the software, however, it said my firmware was up to date. I also tried to escape (pressed escape a few times) to the command prompt but when I did that the screen tells me I have to shut down and I cannot enter any commands

FINAL UPDATE:
Well apparently I have version MB40A61A, which I'm guessing is a more recent version than the firmware that was supposed to help me and that's probably why it won't let me update. I wonder why they would release a more recent firmware version that unfixes a problem (or did it even fix the problem in the first place?). Anyways I'm really disliking hitachi right now and this clicking has to stop...so I might just buy a new notebook HDD..unless anyone is willing to help me

actually there should be only 9AAA3CF1H, not sure if there was F1H before or was it a typo.

And as you mentioned your firm in your 2nd update, I assume instead of
A55A -> A5HA RAM you should write A61A -> A5HA RAM. Maybe it'll mess up the checksums, no idea.

It says that if you try to update. Then press ESC and CTRL+C to get to command prompt.
Enter this:
HFUI12L.EXE OA61A -pm MG4IA5HA.BIN /U MRLA5HA.TBL

Hey 737 thanks for the reply I'll give that stuff a try later. I have some exams coming up so been busy studying for those.

Anyways hopefully I can repay ur help -- from what I understand I think you might've upgraded to the wrong bin file?

In your post you mentioned that you used MG4IA5HA.BIN but you have a 60 gig hitachi. I think the MG4IA5HA.BIN is for the 80 gig version. If you look back a few posts there was another guy who had a 60 gig hitachi (goh - on page 2) and he used MGBIA5HA.bin. I don't know if you should trust me on that one but I think that might be the cause of your problems.

Thanks and good luck!

Actually my curiosity and desire to get rid of this annoying noise got the better of me and I tried to do the stuff you suggested.

Unfortunately even after changing A61A -> A5HA RAM and leaving 9AAA3CF1H for the only thing underneath checksums it still won't let me update.

I was able to boot up and get into the update program. Then I exited out and pressed CTRL+C to get to the command prompt

then I entered
HFUI12L OA5HA -pm MG4IA5HA.bin /F MRLA5HA.tbl

the firmware program loaded up but when I tried to update it printed out "product not on support list. finished without downloading." so I'm assuming since my version is newer than the firmware I'm upgrading to I can't use this firmware..

now I really depise hitachi for having to make its users go through such a difficult process just to fix a widespread problem that should've been fixed before it left the factory. I'll certainly never purchase a hitachi product for a long time

I'm not even sure if this firmware upgrade will fix the clicking noise because I have firmware even more recent than the one everyone else is upgrading too

but anyways if anybody has solutions or ideas before I decide to get rid of this crappy hitachi drive please reply

You were right, the BIN was wrong and now it won't let me reflash it. It complains about some customer target mismatch or smth like that. Although the drive itself is working fine... maybe with the next IBM update if that should ever come.

But for you, have you tried the other parameters? At least I didn't get the L or S working...

/F : Force Update even if down level
/L : Log Update Units
/S : Allow model name unmatch case
/U : Disable screen output, update immediately.

Try with the /U, and tell us what it says.

Hey thanks for your help 732. I tried all of those commands again but unfortunately it still won't let me update and the clicking noise is still ever present.

When I did /U I the got the following output:

Checking drive 0 (device 0 on primary bus).

Model: Hitachi, S/N: MPB4PAX6GPYMSG, firmware: MB4DA61A

This device is not in the support list

there is no hard disk to update


maybe I gotta somehow edit some file to add it to the support list or something.

and about your problem: is the only thing that's wrong with your hard drive right now is that you see 80 gigs available when it should be 60 gigs (and also that the product name is being identified wrong?)?

if so -- I recall there being some settings in the hitachi drive feature tool that allowed you to specify the size of the hard drive. course I haven't done this myself and I do imagine there's probably some chance that you might lose data but it might be worth looking into if you really want to change the identified size of the drive.

some guy mentioned the tool in an earlier post:
http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...t=hitachi+tool

good luck and thanks again

I see it as 60GB, not 80, it's just the model name.

But for you, I think you have some other drive than the 5K80...

what's the full model name (hard drives in device manager)?

I think I have the right hard drive because my drive is listed in the little file thing with comes with the firmware. Hitachi HTS541080G9AT00 in device manager.

But actually I do have some good news (not geico-related) and I hope this doesn't jinx anything but per the advice of a friend I loaded up centrino Notebook Hardware Control http://www.freewr.com/freeware.php?d...ntrol&lid=1655

and went to the harddrive portion of it and changed my acoustic management to "quiet" and advanced power management to max performance.

anyways for the 5 minutes I've been up and running I haven't heard the annoying and noticable "rapid mouse-click" sound. instead now it's a rather inaudible (and keep in mind that the room i'm in is deathly quiet -- which is why the old click was so annoying) click that sounds more like the normal noise that happens when files are being moved and I have to really pay attention to it.

Well I hope this keeps up and cross your fingers for me if you can

thanks for the help you've provided 732 and hitachi you better lock your doors late at night

You don't have a 5K80, you have 5K100. That's why the firm won't fit.

HTS541080G9AT00 5K100
HTS548080G9AT00 5K80

yours should be:
hfui14.exe OA60A MBYIA60A.bdr /F mpbA60Ab.tbl

but it's older than A61A I think

Thanks alot man, reduced my 5K100 seeksounds alot...

Oh I see. Kind of silly how I didn't even know what model my harddrive was - but from the way dell distributes the 9300 models I don't recall being told what model I had (it seems random I think..).

But anyways it's reached the 1-2 hour mark without a single click so hopefully things will keep going this way and for anybody else out there suffering this problem you should definitely check out the Notebook Hardware Control program and change the "advanced power management" setting under "hard disk settings" to "max performance."

Curiously enough I tried leaving it on one of the other settings and 4-5 minutes later I heard the clicking again. Then I put it back to max. performance and the clicking has stopped since then.

I don't know what those settings do but I don't question it since it works.

Thanks again everyone

For the longest time, I thought the clicking noise was normal on Hitachi drive. I have it once in awhile with the IBM Thinkpad, Asus, and Toshiba my sister uses. They all clicks...hahaha

Hi.

I have been following this thread and I too have the problem with clicking noise. Its random but sharp. I am using 5K100 Hitachi hard disk with 40GB. Its driving me nuts.

I called up Hitachi and all they told me is to use Feature tool and change the acoustic setting, which I did. In fact I did more than that. I change the acoustic setting to quiet, then to mid range about 190 and then max it. I also changed the APM settings from standby to active idle etc.. nothing helps.

I even downloaded Power Booster from Hitachi website and tried that. Nope, no difference. Oh, I did try the firmware patch from IBM website but the system said I do not need to update it (my current firmware is MB20A60A). So that didn't work too.

Then I went into Intel HP and downloaded Intel Application Accelerator. Installed it and disabled the APM.. nothing! Changed the setting to max performance, also nothing! And I even did defragmentation. NOTHING helps!

Apart from the clicking noise, the disk is quiet and performance wise slightly better than its rivals. Now I am stuck. I am seriously thinking of changing to a different brand but don't want to end up with such problem again. I am interested in Samsung MP0402H (though its a bit inferior to 5K100) but I read somewhere it has the same clicking problem too.

Does anyone knows which brand and model number (for 40G size) that DO NOT have clicking problem?

The firmware update program says you don't need to update because it's meant for only IBM hdds. You have to run the command manually (HTS541040G9AT00):

hfui14.exe OA60A MB2IA60A.BDR /F mpbA60Ab.tbl

Is there a fix for my Clicking noises on my 4K40?

Yes, look at sweep's post.

for example the 30GB version model: HTS424030M9AT00 firm: MAAIA75A

hfui13.exe OA75A -pm MAAIA75A.bin /U MPAA75A.tbl

but I cant get the .ISO's to work.

any help?

What do you mean by that? Can't download, can't edit, CD won't boot??

CD wont boot. when I press c when I turn on the power button (to boot from CD) it says something like "CD not found" and then boots to windows.

If you use Nero, then choose burn image and 'finalize CD' and 'disc-at-once'